This invention relates to an apparatus for separating solid particulates from a gaseous effluent in a confined disengaging zone. More specifically, the invention is concerned with efficient separation of very small fluidized catalytic or noncatalytic particles from a gaseous effluent comprising said particles and treated carbo-metallic hydrocarbons.
In the contacting of hydrocarbons, extensive use is made of circulating fluidized systems. The apparatus employed for such systems as fluid catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon oils comprises a contacting zone, a disengaging zone, a regeneration zone and means to circulate solids, vapors and gases within the system. The apparatus of this invention centers on the disengaging zone in which fluid contacting material is rapidly separated from the gaseous effluent.
The most effective contacting zone for hydrocarbon conversion is the riser cracking zone. This device features rapid intimate contact of fluidized catalyst with hot oil vapors as the material moves up the interior of a tube. The cracked effluent is quickly separated from the catalyst particles at the top end of the tube. One effective separation apparatus features an open end riser tube in combination with a cyclone separation system; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,533; U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,159; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,503. These patents assigned to Ashland Oil Company are incorporated by reference in this disclosure. The patents disclose inter alia, a device comprising an annular chamber surrounding the upper periphery of an open ended riser conduit. One or more conduits extending laterally from the chamber pass solids and gaseous effluent to cyclone separation means.